During international holidays, news in a narrow niche like ours can completely dry up, so when an exciting headline pops up after 14 hours on a desktop, things aren't so bad after all.
Sadly, the "exciting" headlines that started popping up around 2017 didn't help.
Dramatic news articles in UK tabloids often plagiarized articles published by TorrentFreak. But worse than that, many featured massive exaggerations that insulted even basic common sense, with irrelevant bits of information thrown in for SEO purposes.
Over time, the trend was in a different direction. When Kodi addons became the new boogeyman of piracy, the tabloids gorged themselves on the drama. Headlines containing phrases like FREE STREAM WARNING and NEW KODI THREAT appeared alongside JAILED and POLICE in almost unlimited numbers, regardless of what actually happened.
When did the tabloids start? spreading complete nonsense about a change in UK law, influential people could have helped to correct it. We certainly tried, but it only made things worse.
After giving Android streaming apps the same treatment, recent claims in the media that 'illegal streaming detector cars' have been deployed on the streets of Britain are depressing. They also highlight a continuing theme.
Every instance of outrageous 'reporting' sends a message of danger to the general public, warning that something terrible will happen if they are not careful. Interestingly, misinformation never leans in a direction that it's not beneficial for the entertainment industries. At least until now.
Piracy: a shared problem
Industry Trust For IP is part of the British Association for Screen Entertainment. Sony, Universal, Disney and Warner are listed as member companies, but their reach is much broader than that.
In a new report from the Industry Trust For IP, the UK's hacking problems are outlined once again. Generally speaking, the report contains familiar talking points but with a fresh approach. 'Taking a whole-of-society approach to breach in the UK' suggests that if everyone makes a contribution, a big problem becomes much more manageable.
โWe created this breach summary to shed light on ways we can make a significant change in the current state of breaches through understanding, collaboration, and action,โ he says.
"It suggests a fully supportive policy framework, more consistent use of technological measures, and a more responsible media environment, all backed by proven education and enforcement that can match the growing scale of the threat and will encourage audiences to value and support creative endeavors.
Having waited roughly six years for people of real influence to do something meaningful to prevent legal and industry issues from being deliberately misrepresented in the press, the media reference came as a breath of fresh air. Unfortunately, a different problem is considered much higher priority than factual information.
irresponsible articles
Listed as one of the five "key issues" facing the UK and presented in the report under the heading Media Disinformation, the explanation reads as follows:
An increasing number of news articles and popular movie blogs offer consumers tips on how they can find content they may not have permission to view.
Creating clickbait "where can I see X?" Headlines, promotion of internet searching for unauthorized access, and advice on circumnavigating permissions with VPNs serve to devalue the importance of copyright more broadly and can introduce a gateway to other forms of piracy, according to the investigation.
While the language dances around the topic, it's pretty obvious where the report is headed. Since no regular consumer has permission to view or obtain content from a pirated source, the phrase "you may not have permission to view" seems to introduce a variable known as a 'license'.
The next paragraph seems to reinforce that with the phrase "advising on how to circumnavigate permissions with VPN". No one can 'bypass permissions' to view pirated content, so these are articles promoting the use of VPNs to access legal streaming services from unlicensed locations.
The report does not mention the publications by name, but explains how to find them. A search for 'where can I watch' and 'VPN' (movie title not needed) returned this top article. There is no suggestion that the report authors find this particular article offensive, but it does fit the criteria based on the search parameters and content.
He complete article makes for interesting reading, and of course members of the public will reasonably argue that since they paid for Netflix in the UK, what's the problem? We'll leave that question open, at least for today.
A more interesting example can be found in the section that says: "The best streaming VPN can unblock thousands of new episodes of hit TV shows, live Premier League matches and blockbuster movies that are not available to stream in your country." ".
Articles on a similar theme can be found in The Mirror (1,2), Sun (1) and many, many others. They are certainly not uncommon and are even featured in pro-Hollywood publications.
The Hollywood Reporter (1,2) highlights some legal caveats, but according to the Industry Trust report, even this could "serve to devalue the importance of copyright" and "introduce a gateway to other forms of piracy", at least according to the research.
So what is the media to do?
โThe media could ensure that reporting on ways of looking respects the value of IP and always directs audiences down legal routes,โ the recommendation begins.
โJournalists and bloggers could take more responsibility for the way they promote access to creative content, ensuring that advice on ways of watching respects the value of copyright and promotes legal avenues. They should be aware that supporting Internet browsing and VPN use for unauthorized access could create gateways to other forms of hacking.โ
These suggestions are entirely reasonable, but let's change this. Describing how easy and straightforward piracy has become in the UK, the report uses this statement: Convenience and ease of access fuel engagement.
If that philosophy applied to legal content, there would be no need for anyone to evade anything.
It is a โwhole-of-society approach to infringementโ and a solution rolled into one.
He full report is available from The Industry Trust
